Green Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s.
The initiatives involved the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers.
How Green Revolution impact on the intensity of food production?
1）High-yielding varieties:
The earlier HYV, IR8 with a growing period of 130 days, is "miracle rice" compared to the traditional varieties with a growing period of 170 days.The 1980s HYVs, IR36 & IR58 being pest & disease resistant & with a growing period of only 100 days are "wonder rice".
→ Shorter growing period, availability of modern irrigation methods & fertilizer application allow 2 or 3 similar crops to be grown in one year on the same plot of land (double cropping or triple cropping), hence increasing output per unit area of land.
→ In summary, it increases in production/yield.
2) Modern Irrigation Techniques:
Irrigation enables farmers to control amount of water given to crops. It increases acreage under farming as crops do not need to rely on natural rainfall which may be unreliable & inconsistent. Without irrigation, water shortage may result in crop failure.
→ In summary, it provides reliability, hence sustaining food production.
3) Use of chemicals:
Green Revolution techniques also heavily rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. HYVs require use of ferilizers to boost yields & use of herbicides to prevent weeds from competing with HYVs for nutrients & use of pesticides to combat pests.
→ In summary, it helps to keep a suitable and healthy environment for the growing crops, hence increasing food production.
Advantage of Green Revolution in increasing food productivity:
- Massive increase in food production and supply
- Decrease in food shortage (famine)
- Decrease in malnutrition, under-nutrition, hunger related diseases and deaths form starvation
- Increase in incomes for farmers
- Surplus food available for export, thus increase in income for nation and decrease in outflow of funds for import
- Invention of modern cropping method
- Development of agricultural science and technology
- Provides steady food supply for DCs
- Less amount of human labor needed
Disadvantages of Green Revolution in increasing food productivity:
- Degradation of land: Due to change in land use pattern and employing two and three crop rotation every year land quality has gone down and yield has sufferred.
- Degradation of land part 2: Due to heavy chemical fertilizer inputs land has become hard and carbon material has gone down.
- Weeds have increased: Due to heavy crop rotation pattern we do not give rest to land nor we have time to employ proper weed removal system which has increased weeds.
- Pest infestation has gone up: Pests which we used to control by bio degradable methods have become resistant to many pesticides and now these chemical pesticides have become non effective.
- Loss of bio diversity: Due to heavy use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers we have lost many birds and friendly insects and this is a big loss in long term.
- Chemicals in water: These chemicals which we have been using in our farms go down and contiminate ground water which effect our and our children health.
- Water table has gone down: Water table has gone down due to lack of water harvesting systems and now we have to pull water from 300 to 400 ft. depth which was 40 to 50 feet earlier.
- Loss of old seeds: We have started using new seeds and lost old once since new once give better yield but due to this we have lost many important geens in these seeds.
Green Revolution in India
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. Famine in India, once accepted as inevitable, has not returned since the introduction of Green Revolution crops.
Method used in Green Revolution
- Continued expansion of farming areas
- Double-cropping existing farmland
- Using seeds with improved genetics
Statistical Results
-The crop area under HYV varieties grew from seven per cent to 22 per cent of the total cultivated area during the 10 years of the Green Revolution. More than 70 per cent of the wheat crop area, 35 per cent of the rice crop area and 20 per cent of the millet and corn crop area, used the HYV seeds.
-The Green Revolution resulted in a record grain output of 131 million tons in 1978-79. This established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. No other country in the world which attempted the Green Revolution recorded such level of success. India also became an exporter of food grains around that time.
-Yield per unit of farmland improved by more than 30 per cent between 1947 (when India gained political independence) and 1979 when the Green Revolution was considered to have delivered its goods.
For detailed information of green revolution in India please proceed to:
What is Green Revolution?
Green Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s.
The initiatives involved the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers.
How Green Revolution impact on the intensity of food production?
1）High-yielding varieties:
The earlier HYV, IR8 with a growing period of 130 days, is "miracle rice" compared to the traditional varieties with a growing period of 170 days.The 1980s HYVs, IR36 & IR58 being pest & disease resistant & with a growing period of only 100 days are "wonder rice".
→ Shorter growing period, availability of modern irrigation methods & fertilizer application allow 2 or 3 similar crops to be grown in one year on the same plot of land (double cropping or triple cropping), hence increasing output per unit area of land.
→ In summary, it increases in production/yield.
2) Modern Irrigation Techniques:
Irrigation enables farmers to control amount of water given to crops. It increases acreage under farming as crops do not need to rely on natural rainfall which may be unreliable & inconsistent. Without irrigation, water shortage may result in crop failure.
→ In summary, it provides reliability, hence sustaining food production.
3) Use of chemicals:
Green Revolution techniques also heavily rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. HYVs require use of ferilizers to boost yields & use of herbicides to prevent weeds from competing with HYVs for nutrients & use of pesticides to combat pests.
→ In summary, it helps to keep a suitable and healthy environment for the growing crops, hence increasing food production.
Advantage of Green Revolution in increasing food productivity:
- Massive increase in food production and supply
- Decrease in food shortage (famine)
- Decrease in malnutrition, under-nutrition, hunger related diseases and deaths form starvation
- Increase in incomes for farmers
- Surplus food available for export, thus increase in income for nation and decrease in outflow of funds for import
- Invention of modern cropping method
- Development of agricultural science and technology
- Provides steady food supply for DCs
- Less amount of human labor needed
Disadvantages of Green Revolution in increasing food productivity:
- Degradation of land: Due to change in land use pattern and employing two and three crop rotation every year land quality has gone down and yield has sufferred.
- Degradation of land part 2: Due to heavy chemical fertilizer inputs land has become hard and carbon material has gone down.
- Weeds have increased: Due to heavy crop rotation pattern we do not give rest to land nor we have time to employ proper weed removal system which has increased weeds.
- Pest infestation has gone up: Pests which we used to control by bio degradable methods have become resistant to many pesticides and now these chemical pesticides have become non effective.
- Loss of bio diversity: Due to heavy use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers we have lost many birds and friendly insects and this is a big loss in long term.
- Chemicals in water: These chemicals which we have been using in our farms go down and contiminate ground water which effect our and our children health.
- Water table has gone down: Water table has gone down due to lack of water harvesting systems and now we have to pull water from 300 to 400 ft. depth which was 40 to 50 feet earlier.
- Loss of old seeds: We have started using new seeds and lost old once since new once give better yield but due to this we have lost many important geens in these seeds.
Green Revolution in India
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. Famine in India, once accepted as inevitable, has not returned since the introduction of Green Revolution crops.
Method used in Green Revolution
- Continued expansion of farming areas
- Double-cropping existing farmland
- Using seeds with improved genetics
Statistical Results
-The crop area under HYV varieties grew from seven per cent to 22 per cent of the total cultivated area during the 10 years of the Green Revolution. More than 70 per cent of the wheat crop area, 35 per cent of the rice crop area and 20 per cent of the millet and corn crop area, used the HYV seeds.
-The Green Revolution resulted in a record grain output of 131 million tons in 1978-79. This established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. No other country in the world which attempted the Green Revolution recorded such level of success. India also became an exporter of food grains around that time.
-Yield per unit of farmland improved by more than 30 per cent between 1947 (when India gained political independence) and 1979 when the Green Revolution was considered to have delivered its goods.
For detailed information of green revolution in India please proceed to:
http://www.indiaonestop.com/Greenrevolution.htm